Passed: December 8, 2010

Sponsors: Bruce Levitt and Educational Policies Committee (EPC)

Senate Discussions: December 8, 2010

EPC RESOLUTION ON CORNELL PURCHASING A UNIVERSITY‐WIDE LICENSE FOR TURNITIN

WHEREAS there is consensus among many at Cornell that academic dishonesty is prevalent on our campus, increasing faculty frustration and renewing a demand that the University purchase a University-wide license for Turnitin;

WHEREAS to the extent that Turnitin is employed, it is imperative that it be one component of a comprehensive educational approach, otherwise students are merely punished and deterred temporarily, but not educated, and the university fails in its mission to educate our students to become ethical citizens and professionals;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that as one component of this comprehensive approach, the University purchase a University-wide license for Turnitin for use at faculty discretion;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that faculty are strongly urged to make certain that students understand course academic integrity requirements and know how to meet them; text in a course syllabus, without elaboration, may be insufficient for these purposes; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that faculty who use Turnitin are strongly urged to use it as an educational tool as well as a detection tool.

Referred to Kent Fuchs 12/9/10; his response:

Response from Provost Kent Fuchs – January 26, 2011
Climate of Academic Integrity and Purchase of Turnitin Resolutions

I am writing in response to the two December 8, 2010, resolutions of the Faculty Senate regarding academic integrity. The first resolution is entitled “Educational Policy Committee Resolution Calling for Cornell University to Create an Initiative to Develop Approaches to a Climate of Academic Integrity,” and the second is entitled “EPC Resolution on Cornell Purchasing a University-wide License for Turnitin.”

First, I would like to thank the Educational Policy Committee and the Faculty Senate for their consideration of the issues around academic integrity and for their formulation of these approaches. I agree that academic dishonesty presents a significant challenge at Cornell and at other colleges and universities across the U.S. and that the most effective response begins with a proactive,
educational initiative, and includes a means of detection and deterrence.

Thus, I have charged Vice Provost Laura Brown to create an initiative to promote academic integrity, and to pursue the additional option of providing access to the web-based detection tool, Turnitin. We will begin planning for this initiative immediately and will expect to initiate programming during 2011-12.

Follow-up from Laura Brown:

Update from Laura Brown on Turnitin

We are working towards signing a contract with Turnitin for a 3‐year license. Turnitin will be available to all faculty and students associated with the Ithaca campus. The license will commence on August 24, the first day of classes. However, Turnitin will be online and available once there is a signed contract, likely in early July. Turnitin will be integrated with and available through the new version of Blackboard. Clare van den Blink and her staff will develop instructional materials for both faculty and students. In addition, I will work with them to develop best practices and sample syllabi language for faculty who intend to use Turnitin.